Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Overall Rank: #74
Conference Rank: #1 Summit League
Oral Roberts Team Page
2010-11: 19-16, 13-5
2010-11 postseason: CIT
Coach: Scott Sutton (223-154 at Oral Roberts, 223-154 overall)
Oral Roberts never falls too far down the Summit League pecking order. In fact, they have finished in the top three in the conference standings the last eight seasons. That will not end this year. What will likely end is their three year NCAA Tournament drought. The Golden Eagles made it to the CIT in 2011, but their goals for this season will be a little loftier with the return of their top six scorers.
Who’s Out:
Hunter McMclintock will be missed the most. He was usually the second guard off of the bench and averaged 17.4 minutes per game last year. He was not a great scorer, but he was a scrappy player who could put in some quality minutes when the starters needed a rest. ORU spent most of last season without the services of Kyron Stokes, so replacing his ability to rebound on the wing should not be an issue. Tim Morton may be a bigger loss than it would appear. He only averaged 8.1 minutes per game, but he was a big body who could come in and eat up some fouls and grab some boards. A freshman will have to do that now.
Who’s In:
The Golden Eagles will not need much help from their newcomers, but they may get a little anyway. D.J. Jackson is the point guard of the future. The 5-11 Kansas City, Missouri product is the most likely candidate to see playing time this season due to the need for a backup point guard. For now he will likely play 15 minutes per game and prepare to take over the starting duties next season. What Jackson does provide is a point guard who can score. Korey Billbury knows a thing or two about scoring. He can light it up and take over a game. He will not have that opportunity in 2011-2012, but he could provide a spark off of the bench. Jake Lliteras will add more depth on the perimeter. Kris Obaseki will need some time to grow into his 6-9 frame, but when he does he should be a fine power forward. Mikey Manghum is back in action this year after playing a little in 2009-2010 as a walk-on. He redshirted last season due to the talent on the roster in front of him.
Who to Watch:
With the top six players back, there are a lot of players to keep an eye on this year. However, the most interesting battle for playing time will be in the frontcourt. Dominique Morrison has the small forward spot all locked up after he averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists during his junior campaign. Morrison is a superb outside shooter who, at 6-6, can shoot over most opposing defenders. He will also attack the basket with ease and the best thing most defenders can do is foul him…which usually results in two points anyway. Damen Bell-Holter is the big man under the basket. The 6-9, 245 pound Alaskan had a breakout sophomore season and developed into a great interior scorer and rebounder. Steven Roundtree started all 35 games during his freshman campaign and was more than just a complimentary player to Bell-Holter. While Roundtree can do the dirty work, he also proved to be a quality interior scorer and averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. The problem, if you can call it that, is that Michael Craion is back after missing all but two games last year. Two years ago, his first after heading to ORU from the junior college ranks, Craion averaged 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. He is a little undersized at 6-5, but he does have more girth than the 6-8 Roundtree. Both deserve to start, both deserve to play 30 minutes a game, but there just are not that many minutes to go around in the frontcourt. The good news is Craion can spell Morrison during those rare occasions he takes a break at the three spot and Roundtree can back up Bell-Holter at the five. That gives Coach Scott Sutton a ton of talent to work with.
Final Projection:
The backcourt does not quite have that many experienced and dangerous options. Roderick Pearson is a capable point guard, who should improve his decision making and leadership now that he is a senior. Warren Niles is a fine shooting guard who ranked second on the team with 14.3 points per game. He is easily the Golden Eagles most prolific outside shooting threat. Add Ken Holdman, a versatile glue guy, into the mix and the backcourt is certainly experienced and can fill the roles that this team needs to be filled. If the newcomers, especially Jackson as the backup point guard and Billbury as the offensive spark off the bench, can perform up to expectations, there is not a team in the conference who can come close to matching the talent at Oral Roberts.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Roderick Pearson, Senior, Guard, 5.6 points per game
Warren Niles, Junior, Guard, 14.3 points per game
Dominique Morrison, Senior, Forward, 19.5 points per game
Michael Craion, Senior, Forward, 1.5 points per game
Damen Bell-Holter, Junior, Center, 13.3 points per game
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